In Which Sophie Leaves The Moving Castle
by Seikyo-tan
Summary: Howl's finally pushed Sophie over the edge and now she's gone.


**A/N: Hey everyone I know it's been a long time, but I finally came up with something. I really hope you like it. Please excuse any grammar or punctuation mistakes, and if any characters seem OOC. That's about it. Favorite. Follow. Review. Peace.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Howl's Moving Castle. **

"Master Howl~" Markl whined. "When's Sophie coming back?" Howl looked at his apprentice with slight annoyance. "If I knew that I would have told you." He snapped. Markl backed away from Howl and returned to the bench at the cluttered dinner table. Thing had gotten messy around the castle again since Sophie left. It'd only been a week since she stormed out of the castle in a furious rage. Howl didn't look for her since he thought that he was the one who should be angry. She'd his hair from black to bright green and now no matter what he did he couldn't get it to change back.

In the week since she'd left, Howl had became increasingly more grumpy and even the slightest thing that reminded her of him send him into his own fit of anger. He missed her terribly, and he wanted nothing more than to scavenge the hills and mountains searching for her, but his pride wouldn't allow that. He continued to believe that she was to blame and grumbled about it when Calcifer or Markl brought it up.

It was now the eighth day since she left and the castle was an utter wreck. The rat and insects had found their way back in the castle on the seventh day of Sophie's absence and were nearly done rebuilding their houses. The spiders had somehow managed to have over 200 children each and they were building webs everywhere. You couldn't see the table under the books and papers that were piled on top, not to mention the thick layer on dust that had already lathered the entire place.

Howl spent the day submerged in his sheet and muttering to himself that it was not his fault. He laid in a fetal position with his knees all the way up to forehead. His green hair was a tangled mess and lay all around him. Strangely his hair had grown at least two or three inches in the week and a day.

Markl walked into Howl's room and flicked on the lights, eliminating the blanket of darkness that helped hide his master from what he'd done. "Master Howl please go look for Sophie. The castle's a mess and I'm hungry." He whined. Howl growled from underneath his heavy comforter. "No", he said sharply, "it was not my fault". To Markl Howl sound extremely childish. As he thought about it, while standing in the doorway, he realized almost everything Howl did was childish.

"I wonder how Sophie fell in love with you." He thought aloud. He turned his back to Howl to leave when Howl shout up from under the sheets. "What did you say, Markl?" He growled which ended up making his sound like a child fussing. Markl turned back around. "Master Howl I was thinking to myself that your childish and wondering how Sophie fell in love with you." He said truthfully. Howl pout slightly. He really wasn't helping himself. "I am not childish!" he protested. Markl chuckled and left Howl to his own guilty conscious.

_I am not childish! _ He thought angrily. _But I do miss Sophie. I want to see her again. _His angry expression fell and turned into one of sadness. _ I really miss her and her radiant smile. Where could she have gone?_

She couldn't be at the hat shop because it didn't exist anymore. It was now Sophie's flower shop, but the flowers had withered. She wasn't in the town because Howl had already secretly searched. He'd already searched everywhere she could possibly be, and it was tearing his heart apart that he could not find her. For all he knew she could be dead. It made him panic and his heart felt as if it were being clenched by chains. Howl jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs to the door. He turned knob green down and swung the door open. He only faintly heard Markl asking him where he was going, but he was cut off by the slamming of the door behind him.

He was in her flower field. The one he'd used a little magic on for her. The fragrance of the flowers were the ones that e recognized to always surround Sophie. He smiled but his heart was clenched tighter. Knowing Sophie was always here made him calm down a bit, but light tears started to run down his face. He quickly wiped them away. He missed Sophie to no end, but crying was a girl thing.

He carefully picked his way through the flower field and made his way to the little cabin that stood on the sparkling lake. He slowly pushed the old wood door open with a low creak and was met by a surprise. Laying motionless on the floor right underneath the small window was Sophie. Howl ran to her a carefully cradled her in his arms. "Sophie!" he yelled. When he didn't get a response he shook her lightly. Her head lulled over the side of his arm. "Sophie!" he yelled again and this time he shook her more frantically.

A bubble of pain erupted in his heart as he remembered his picture of her dead in his mind. It looked exactly like the Sophie that was in his arms. Tears poured from his eyes and this time he didn't wipe them away. He clenched his shirt over where his heart was as another spear of pain shout through his heart. He burred his face in her neck, not noticing the warm in the area. "Sophie please wake up!" he sobbed. "You gave me my heart back and told me a heart is a heavy burden. You have to help me carry it. I can do it alone." He cried into her neck.

Gently a hand reached up a stroked Howl's back. "I was only sleeping Howl." Said a gentle voice. Howl's head shot up and he peered into her chocolate brown eyes. "Sophie?" he whispered quietly as if not sure that she was really herself. Sophie smiled up at him. "Yeah, it's me. How have you been?" she said. Howl's sadness turned into slight anger. "How have I been?" he shouted. "How have I been? I've been horrible. I've been worried sick that something had happen to you and then I find you unconscious."

Sophie's eyes narrow in sorrow. "I'm sorry Howl." But Howl wasn't going to except that. "Markl and Calcifer have been driving me insane asking when you'd come back, you know." Sophie became slightly annoyed and pushed away from Howl. "It was your fault." She proclaimed.

"How was it my fault?" Howl shouted. Sophie sighed. "You didn't have to go crazy. It was an accident." She shot back. Howl held up two fingers and pushed them in Sophie's face. "Twice," he screeched, "it happened twice!"

"You can make the same mistake more than once!"

"Yes, but you're smart enough not to." Sophie stood up. "I'm leaving again. If you're not willing to admit that the reason I left was your fault, then I'll give you more time to think about it." As Sophie walked toward the door Howl began to panic and reached for her. "Sophie, wait!" She turned around and Howl hung his head. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Sophie smiled and walked back over to him. She crotched down and patted his head. "I forgive you, and I'm sorry for ruining your hair. I already know that you see no point in living if you can't be beautiful." Howl raised his head and took Sophie's face in his hands. "That's not true anymore. You're me reason for living now. I simple want to look good for you." he said and kissed her forehead.


End file.
